The Young Conqueror

Disclaimer: I did not invent Sun Ce or any other major character in this fanfic. Koei is responsible for the general appearance and mannerisms of the characters contained herein. I drew on the game personae for the sake of variety. Please note that most characterizations contained herein are based on the of the Dynasty Warriors 5 personalities, with the occasional reference to DW6 or an earlier incarnation of the game.

Since this is a story about Sun Ce, I've changed a few events to focus more on him. After Guan Yu he's my favourite character in the game and a li'l gratuitous action for the oldest Sun boy can't be a bad thing, right?

Enjoy!

The Young Conqueror, Chapter 51- The Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan

Sun Ce hugged Da and kissed the top of her head as she met him in the entranceway of the pavilion. She hugged him back lovingly, grateful to be back in his strong arms. She had immensely enjoyed her sojourn, but it was always wonderful to come back to the one you love.

She directed the servants to take her lacquered clothing travel trunks upstairs to her quarters. She in the meantime, declared that she was quite fatigued, dusty from the journey and would be taking a bath. She then took Ce by the hand and led him off toward the bathing chambers.

Some minutes later, she was standing on the slightly slanted wooden floor of the bathing chamber, scrubbing at her skin with a coarse cloth. Ce stood nearby with a bucket of cool water, waiting cheerfully as she cleansed her smooth, alabaster body. Eventually she was ready and Ce poured several buckets of water over her, which drained down the slanted floor and into a vent that emptied outside.

"So, how was your visit?" Ce asked.

"Patience, husband mine," Da said lazily as she dried her skin with a large piece of linen. "I only just returned, I would relax before submitting to interrogation."

"I'm not interrogating you, I just wanna know." Ce said as she turned away to walk over to a dresser area on which sat her effects. She let the linen fall away and stood in front of the dresser, pinning up her hair. Her pale skin gleamed in the daylight that cascaded in through the balcony over the menagerie. Ce grinned as he stared at her pert, perfect behind.

"I'm just curious," he continued. "What did you and Diao Chan do during your visit with her?"

Da shrugged, still facing away from him. "I don't know, consensual courtesan stuff- nothing of note or out of the ordinary for two women of the willow world."

"Sounds interesting," Ce said teasingly. "So lemme ask again… what did you and Diao Chan get up to during your time alone together?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Da said, turning around, still naked and looking at him pointedly. "What did you and Diao Chan get up to during your time alone together?"

Ce's eyes widened in shock and his jaw went slack.


Da Qiao had ridden southwest from Baifu, accompanied only by three of her most trusted servant girls and two five-man squads, one of the Valiant Cavaliers and one of the Iron Fists. She would have preferred to take this trip with no guard, but Zhou Yu was insistent, and because his chief strategist and advisor was, Sun Ce had also been firm on the matter.

Since the campaign against Lu Bu in Xia Pi and her subsequent relocation to the Southlands, Diao Chan had been given all the treatment due to a renowned and celebrated courtesan and stayed briefly in Baifu. But when it became clear that she was just wanting to shut away and the world and pine for what she had lost, Da Qiao had ordered that a small but lovely home be built for Diao Chan, close enough to Baifu to be accessible but isolated enough to give Diao Chan the privacy she so desired.

It had been over a full year since Lu Bu had fallen at Xia Pi and in that time very little had been heard of from Diao Chan. Da Qiao corresponded with her, sending messages back and forth on a monthly basis. Diao Chan had been given a generous stipend to live on but she seemed to keep to herself. The only person she communicated with was Da Qiao and they had formed something of an intimate bond over their letters. Da knew Diao Chan had no one and she knew the courtesan had come to rely on their friendship.

One day Da had received a message inviting her to Diao Chan's manor for a visit. Da's heart warmed that the beautiful, sad girl was finally starting to reach out. Diao Chan had also invited Xiao Qiao and even Sun Shang Xiang, but Xiao was taking part in maneuvers in the north near Changsha and Shang Xiang was deploying her corps in the south against the Shanyue tribes, and therefore both girls were unavailable. So Da Qiao rode forth alone now, on the three day journey to Diao Chan's manor in Lijiang, looking forward to the time away from the bustle of Baifu.

The village of Lijiang was a small and drowsy one, tiny but prosperous. The region was known for its lacquerware and Lijiang was the center of this industry. The lacquer goods the town's artisans produced were coveted as far away as Wuchang and even north of the Wei River. Such goods were usually not affordable to common folk, and those wares from Lijiang commanded an exceptional price. Those who made the lacquer goods were well-paid and they in turn made the other members of the tiny village wealthy.

Da's two squads unfurled her banners, declaring her the commander of their companies but also as consort of the Lord of the Southlands, the great Lady Da Qiao. The sound of gongs from inside the village could be heard as Da crested the hill and came down into the vale. The villagers, led by their elder and the region's assigned Confucian scholar, all came out of Lijiang and awaited her patiently. They all kow-towed when she arrived and dismounted.

"Lady Qiao, beloved consort of our Lord Sun Ce, welcome to our unworthy village," intoned the elder. "We had only just this morning received word from the manor on the hill to our south that you would be arriving and we are ill-prepared. Forgive us."

Da bowed politely. "There is nothing to forgive, elder, I might have done a better job of announcing myself if I had been expecting any reception. Indeed I do have business with the lady who lives on the hill. As you are no doubt aware, she is a courtesan, like myself."

"The Lady Diao Chan in nearly as renowned as yourself and your worthy sister, Lady Qiao," the elder continued. "Though she and her people mostly keep to themselves, they do come to Lijiang to get their provisions. Knowing of her station and what rumours will tell of her tale, we deal with them fairly and generously, since we ourselves prosper enough to meet our needs."

Da nodded. "Her life and story are suitably grand and tragic. I expect you of Lijiang to look out for her and her people. She is a lady of greatness almost never seen in these times, and blessed is the land she chooses to call home."

Da indicated that they should all rise and they led her into the village. Da walked with the elder and the scholar. She was impressed with the village, it was a model of pristine efficiency and pleasing aesthetic. Gardens flourished, ornamental trees lined the roads and pretty gazebos gave shelter from the southern sun. The market was walled off from the residences and also contained the industry of the village. It was nice to see that the learning the Sun family had brought from Jiang Dong was having a profound impact on the lives of these people.

Da entertained the entreaties of the elder and scholar to inspect the village and examine their wares, the pride of Lijiang. She even agreed graciously to take back several examples to Baifu as gifts, neglecting to mention that the royal palace was full of such wares from this very town. She knew it was an honour to be gifted such extraordinary vessels.

They showed her the stream that was supposed to be the source of such incredible wares, for the water was blessedly pure, the gift of a local river goddess whose shrine was always favoured with peaches and silk. They revered her and she in turn made the waters of her river so pure that the lacquer mixes of Lijiang could not be matched. Da had to admit, the water was delightfully refreshing and she made sure to fill her party's skins with it. She also left a personal offering at the shrine, praying reverently and leaving a beautiful pearl for the goddess for sharing such bounty.

Eventually, though, Da Qiao declared that she had to continue on her way. She asked that her two squads and her servant girls be given lodgings while she stayed on the hill. The elder and scholar readily agreed, eager to accommodate the members of companies as prestigious as the Valiant Cavaliers and the Iron Fists.

Da Qiao then set out alone for the last liof the journey, up the low but long hill leading to the manor that was her destination. As the sun reached the middle of the sky, she saw a graceful figure standing outside the stately but quiet shiheyuan, waiting for her…


Da slipped off her horse gracefully and walked toward her host. Diao Chan smiled warmly and bowed low.

"Great lady of the Southlands, welcome to my modest abode." Diao Chan said in her lyrical voice. "I am your humble and devoted servant."

Da Qiao returned the bow. "And I yours, Diao Chan. Between us let there be no boundaries of title or rank, for we are both sisters of the willow world and that status transcends all else. Please, I insist you call me by my given name."

"If you will honour me with the same courtesy, then of course I shall." Diao Chan replied. She offered her arm to Da Qiao and they walked back into the manor together, arm-in-arm. Despite the fact that they had once fought a grueling duel, Da Qiao had found herself instantly liking Diao Chan. She had always pitied the poor girl and felt somehow drawn to her, but now she knew that they could also be fast and devoted friends.

"You honour me by accepting my invite, Da," Diao Chan said, leading her guest into the reception hall. "I know that I have remained a complete recluse from the world while I mourned my circumstances, but I find now that I have need for a friend and a kind word. And in you I sense that same desire."

Da nodded. "It is indeed my great wish for us to be friends and as sisters, my dear. I was thrilled to receive your invite. My only regret is that my sister and my sister-in-law could not join me."

Diao Chan smiled prettily. "To be honest I was somewhat apprehensive about inviting Lady Shang Xiang. I swear I still have a couple of bruises from when she knocked me around."

Da sighed. "Darling, I have to spar with her, I know what you mean. I can assure you, though, that she likes you, for if she had not you would surely be dead."

"Strangely comforting," Diao Chan said, sitting Da down on a wide bench covered in plush pillows. They sat in to face one another and Diao Chan gestured for a servant to get tea. "What is your pleasure for tea, Da?" she asked.

"As long as it is not Smoky Black Dragon, I shall be fine." Da replied. "Zhou Yu contends that it increases brain function but it tastes like death wrapped in fungus. I do not need to be that smart."

Both girls giggled and Diao Chan sent for a white tea. A low table was sat next to them and they partook of some dainty sweets while they waited for the tea.

"I was relieved to hear of Lord Sun Ce's recovery," Diao Chan said. "I love the Southlands and its valiant people, but I dread to think what would have happened had he perished."

"As do I, Diao Chan, and it is lucky that I was right, for all others had given up hope." Da replied, knowing that her relief was shared by all.

"I said many silent prayers for his deliverance and ours. I hope the goddess heard my entreaties." Diao Chan explained. Da bowed as a gesture of thanks.

"I just want you to know, Diao Chan, that although we fought on opposite sides, my heart breaks for your loss." Da said gently. "I have known your agony, albeit briefly, and I very nearly took my own life for it. But I cannot readily identify with your position, as my husband is beloved by all within our lands and I fear that you alone in all the Han miss Lu Bu."

Diao Chan was silent for several seconds with her eyes closed. Finally she opened her eyes and she nodded. "I do indeed miss my lord, Da Qiao, but I have come to accept that the judgment of the Heavens, while often cruel, is fair. Lord Lu Bu lived to prove his own might and for that he had to be in a state of constant conflict with lesser men, the likes of Yuan Shao or Dong Zhuo."

"You at one time were tied to Dong Zhuo, were you not?" Da asked.

"I was, yes," Diao Chan admitted, her countenance darkening a little. "I was a pawn in a terrible and dangerous game being played in Chang'an, married to Dong Zhuo, but also meant to cause a rift between he and his adopted son, Lu Bu."

"And you, against all good reasoning and with woman's folly, fell in love with Lu Bu." Da reasoned. "I do not understand your passion, Diao Chan, but I accept it, for passion and love often deny all common sense."

"Yours does not," Diao Chan said gently. "Yours may very well be the greatest love story of our age, and I hope one day that my heart is mended enough to sing of it."

Da blushed. "I am a lucky courtesan, nothing more."

Diao Chan smiled wickedly. "Nonsense, darling, and you know it. You and I are the two greatest courtesans in the land, rivaled only by your sister and possibly Lady Zhen of the Yuans who is now tied to the house of Cao. But Lord Sun Ce is too discerning a man to fall for just a pretty face. There is so much more to you than you claim, just like there is more to myself."

Da could not deny the logic, although she had a hard time admitting to the truth of it. She and Diao Chan were the two most splendid and celebrated ladies in the Middle Kingdom, matched only by Xiao and maybe one or two others. They were who they were because of the years of training and sacrifice, the dedication and desire. To be a courtesan was no easy life, although one had to be so divine as to intimate that it was such.

Their thoughts trailed back through the years, to different but equally prestigious schools- the Amethyst Cloud School in Chang'an and the Jade Butterfly School in Wuchang. These schools were meant to raise the ladies to be more than mere concubines, whom they held in disdain, but to be the most revered women in the land. The days were severe and the instructors merciless- if a girl were not performing up to expectations, she could expect to be punished harshly.

Da had been sent by her father Qiao Xuan along with her sister to the Jade Butterfly, where they learned to read, dance, recite and write poetry, sing, play many instruments, serve food, wine and tea, and, finally, to pleasure their designated lover in all manners.

The school was especially hard and Da and Xiao, since their mother, Mai, had graduated from the school and was almost immediately married off to the scholar Qiao Xuan. They were given no special treatment and were criticized and punished for even the tiniest mistakes, things other girls might be gently chided for.

Both girls had excelled in all of the aesthetic disciplines and when they were a little more mature were taught the sexual arts that would make them the consummate wives they were intended to be. Since they were to remain virgins throughout their tenure at the school, they were given phalluses to use and practice with and encouraged to experiment and roleplay with one another and the other students.

Da and Xiao could make love to both men and women with equal ease, although it was the dream of both girls to be married off to a hero. Some girls preferred to be given to great ladies of the realm, to act as their companion and lover. Da and Xiao both accepted this possibility, as any such arrangements would be made by their father based on the dowry that could be paid for them.

Da had often reflected on how love or at least physical pleasure was accepted between women, even if they were already married, but Confucian thought required fidelity to one man. More than that, men of great position often had dozens of concubines or wives and also had male lovers. These artificial constraints upon women irked her somewhat, even as a young lady, but she kept this to herself, not wishing a thrashing.

Da had been especially fond of another girl in the school, a year her senior named Bi Xing. Although she was not as pretty as Da, she was charming and intelligent and if Da were not in her sister's presence, she was almost constantly with Bi. Though they had never quite been in love, they were very dear to one another and Da wept for days when Bi was whisked away from the school to be married to a wealthy noble in Hanzhong.

Xiao too had been fond of a girl, a certain An Zhang and they were inseparable. The four girls together almost formed a gang and by their last years in the academy were mildly feared even by the instructors. They shared their beds, their hearts and their dreams. Alas, An Zhang had been beaten to death by a drunken visitor who was looking to acquire a girl. When An Zhang had refused to allow him to pillow her and then began to cry, the ugly brute flew into a rage and pummeled her to unconsciousness. She died three days later, never having awoken.

And through all this hardship, the girls were to give an air of serenity and otherworldly pleasure, to provide an escape from the toils of the world and a glimpse of paradise. Everything they did was precise, measured and calculated. Even the simplest gesture was to bear a grace beyond mortal ken and courtesans were to cast a spell that left the beholder rapt and ever wanting more.

The willow world was a glove of steel laced with silk.

Night after night, Da and Xiao would hold one another and cry, promising to get through this ordeal together, to emerge the greatest courtesans the land had ever known. They caressed and kissed one another's bruises, defiant and unconquerable, as long as they had one another. She had helped Xiao compose the poem that mourned An Zhang's cruel passing:

I have closed the double doors.
In what corner of the heavens is she?
A horizontal flute
Beyond the red walls
Blown as gently as the breeze
Blows the willow floss.
In the lingering glow of the sunset
The roosting crows ignore my melancholy.
Once again I languidly get out of bed.
After I have burned incense,
I loiter on the jeweled staircase.
I regret the wasted years,
Sick, afraid of the cold, afraid of the heat,
While the beautiful days went by.
Suddenly it is the Autumn Feast of the Dead.
Constantly disturbed by the changing weather,
I lose track of the flowing light
That washes us away.
Who moved the turning bridges
On my inlaid ghuzhang?
I realize-
Of the twenty six strings
Twenty one are gone.

Da Qiao had been bade to write the poem that would celebrate Bi Xing's achievement within those sacred walls and her composition had been suitably selfish:

On your slender body
Your jade and coral girdle ornaments chime
Like those of a celestial companion
Come from the Green Jade City of Heaven.
One smile from you when we meet,
And I become speechless and forget every word.
For too long you have gathered flowers,
And leaned against the bamboos,
Your green sleeves growing cold,
In your deserted valley:
I can visualize you all alone,
A girl harboring her cryptic thoughts.

You glow like a perfumed lamp
In the gathering shadows.
We play wine games
And recite each other's poems.
Then you sing `Remembering South of the River'
With its heart breaking verses. Then
We paint each other's beautiful eyebrows.
I want to possess you completely -
Your jade body
And your promised heart.
It is Spring.
Vast mists cover the Five Lakes.
My dear, let me buy a red painted boat
And carry you away.

The poetry had been masterful, although the instructors secretly seethed at the lament. Deprived of their lovers by cruel fortune and circumstance, the Qiao sisters' bond grew greater still. Even now, all these years later and married to the two greatest men in the Southlands, Da and Xiao were still almost of one body and soul, a bond nothing could break.

Da opened her eyes from her reverie and saw that Diao Chan too had been lost to the mists of days gone by. Though of different schools, their experiences must have been nearly identical and between all courtesans there was a bond of sisterhood, borne of both pain and desire.

"Perhaps we are the greatest women in our realm," Da agreed. "Although surely an exception must be made for the Sun sister, yes?"

Diao Chan smiled gently. "Lady Shang Xiang is in a class all of her own. Oh, darling, how I would love to avenge myself upon the horrible headmistress I suffered through by making your sister-in-law her student."

They tittered daintily at the thought of Shang Xiang as a courtesan. Tea was served and their conversation drifted to innocuous matters such as the region in which Diao Chan now lived and how she passed her days. Diao Chan asked after the matters of the court in Baifu and also the turmoil that seethed throughout the land.

"I weep for the land, Diao Chan," Da said sadly. "So much war and death awaits us still, before the greedy lords of the Middle Kingdom settle this conflict between them."

"I pray that your husband Lord Sun Ce indeed does pacify the land and make it his own," Diao Chan replied. "For I believe that he is our best hope for peace and prosperity."

Da Qiao could not put her finger on it, but something in the way Diao Chan had said Ce's name made her wonder.


They spoke of the sleepy town of Lijiang down the hill and her interactions with the people. They both giggled about the reverent and yet gossipy nature in which they spoke of the lady Diao Chan. As courtesans, the two girls were used to such scrutiny and amused by it.

Diao Chan requested that she be allowed to play and sing for Da Qiao, who readily acquiesced. She had fought Diao Chan, but she much desired rather to hear her play. Diao Chang settled in and played a serene tune on a banhu, a two-stringed instrument common in China's north. Her lovely voice carried through the shiheyuan like gentle incense.

Da Qiao begged to be allowed to return the favour and a servant retrieved her konghou, a harp native to the region of Jiang Dong. Da played and sang of yearning, for a lover, for the blue sea and for the eternal peace of the Heavens. Diao Chan's eyes glistened and she kow-towed to Da Qiao as the song ended, her graceful forehead to the floor.

"Thank you, Lady Qiao, for bringing such beauty back into my life. By my own volition I have missed such things and yet you have awakened in me such desire again."

Da nodded, mostly to herself. This was exactly what she had wanted.

The day was waning and they were sitting in a simple but elegant room and having a light evening meal together. Delightful little quails had been served, for Da's sake, and Diao Chan ate dutifully, although it was clear that she was relying on her courtesan training and forcing herself to do so. Like Da's brother-in-law, Quan, she obviously eschewed meat. Da was polite enough to not notice her hostess' struggle and liked her all the more for her efforts.

"That was a very naughty and cruel thing you did today, Da, darling." Diao Chan said casually as she ate a piece of persimmon.

"To what do you refer, Diao Chan?" Da asked.

Diao Chan smiled slyly. "That song, dear… with it you have opened my heart to the world again and this clearly was your design in singing such a tune. Even with a sister, we courtesans are the most dangerous of tools."

Da nodded. "It is as you say; this was indeed my desire, though it not so perfunctory an agenda as you make it sound. I hoped indeed to bring you back to the world, not only for the world's sake, but your own. I remember seeing you in Xia Pi and how lost you were. My heart went out to you, Diao Chan. I admit that through this past year, with the arrival of the Bailangren, the war with Yuan Shu, the attack on Cao Cao, Ce's illness, not to mention my own duties, my thoughts have often been with you."

"I am indeed flattered, my friend." Diao Chan said. "I do not mean to sound pompous, but you have reminded me of a courtesan's duty to the world and what we mean."

"I am glad to hear that, for I fear I may lose it," Da admitted. "With every passing month, I seem more and more destined to be a warrior-queen and I am finding less and less room for the courtesan and girl I used to be. I do not want to lose her."

"Then you must make the world in whatever image you choose, Da." Diao Chan said. "There is too much of the courtesan and not enough of your husband in you."

"On that point we both agree, at least of late." Da muttered.

Diao Chan giggled at her guest's double-entendre. "At least we know that becoming a warrior-queen and general has done nothing to quell your pithy wit, my dear. That is one trait a courtesan should never lose, for in our old age, it may be all we have left."

"May the goddess take me if I ever become that old crone," Da said cheerfully. "And that, as well, is something else I meant to discuss with you. Have you given any thought at all to perhaps finding a husband, or at least a lover?"

"No, to be honest," Diao Chan sighed. "Although I am thinking that this is simply willful stupidity on my part. Surely it would be a crime against the Heavens for sisters such as you or I to wither and not have our blossoms tended and watered."

Da smirked. "There is only so long I am willing to let my mighty husband campaign before I insist he come home to wage a different war. There are fertile hills and valleys to be pillaged that do not lay beyond our borders…"

The girls both giggled again and wine was served. Da prayed that Diao Chan was as lousy a drinker as herself.

"Tell me then, sister, of how you like to be pegged." Diao Chan teased. "Does the man heralded as the 'Young Conqueror' live up to his name?"

Normally Da would blush and refuse to hold such a conversation, except in the presence of her sister or Shang Xiang, but Diao Chan was another exception she would gladly make. She discussed in great detail about how she and Ce made love and every last bit of him. Diao Chan nodded and asked questions, fascinated with Da's account. Da even blushingly recounted how she attempted to ambush Ce in a hallway and fight him, an event that saw her pinned and unceremoniously defiled.

Evening gave way to a warm night and they strolled along the crest of the hill unshod, hand in hand and looking up at the stars. The moon was bright and the scent of flowers was on the wind's breath. In spite of this blissful serenity, Da's heart was heavy. When she could take it no more, she turned to Diao Chan and looked into her eyes.

"Diao Chan," she said softly, taking her friend's hands in hers. "Please, I need you to be forthright with me… what has passed between you and my husband?"

Diao Chan stared at Da Qiao for several moments, saying nothing. Da placed the girl's hands against her heart.

"By the friendship between us and as a token of gratitude for saving your life from the Prime Minister, I beg you… what has transpired between you and my lord Sun Ce?"

Diao Chan's eyes glistened. "Da Qiao, on my father's grave and that of my lord Lu Bu, and not least on our friendship that I have come to cherish so quickly, I tell you that nothing transpired, though not for my not having tried."

"What do you mean, Diao Chan?" Da asked, somehow stunned, even though she had asked in anticipation of such a revelation. "Please tell me."

"First of all, know that your husband is completely blameless in all I tell you," Diao Chan said reassuringly. "When Lord Sun Jian came to Yong'an with your husband at his side, I had been ordered to sway the heir of to my lord Dong Zhuo's side by whatever means necessary. I found myself torn, because he was at once both noble and somehow unassailable. I crept into his quarters, lay naked with him and used all my arts to seduce him."

Da's heart pounded as she listened, Diao Chan's words like stinging ice in her ears. Though she had suspected, to hear this was almost too much.

"Any other man or woman would surely have succumbed," Diao Chan said quietly. "But not your husband; he threw off my sorceries and gently but firmly rejected me. His only thoughts were of you. The gentleness in his voice nearly destroyed me."

Da Qiao said nothing.

"My world was torn apart that day," Diao Chan said, her voice trembling with sadness. "Not because I loved him, nor because I had failed in my so-called duty, but because my duty had called upon me to subvert the man who could unite the realm and save us all from this hateful turmoil. It was your husband's rejection of me that cleared the darkness in my heart and reminded me of what a courtesan was to be. From that day forward, I devoted myself to my Lord Lu Bu, who I considered the only other worthy man in the realm."

The magnitude of her offenses overwhelmed Diao Chan suddenly and bursting into tears she turned and fled back to the manor. Silent as a stone statue, Da Qiao watched her go.

The warm wind could not reach her heart.


Diao Chan lay in the darkness of her room, hugging her pillow and weeping bitterly, feeling utterly wretched. The self-loathing that was the trap and downfall of so many courtesans threatened to consume her. What right had she to live amongst such noble and generous people as the Sun family of the Southlands?

The dark, cold pain of her loneliness washed over her, singing of misery and a hateful fate she alone deserved. Her eyes stung and her body was wracked by sobs. She hated herself for everything she had ever done. What had her love ever brought except pain and suffering to others?

Even her Lord Lu Bu had eventually fought in her name and for it he paid the ultimate price. Mayhap if she had never joined herself to him he might have just been a menace that was subdued and forced to serve a mighty lord. But her love seemed to warp and corrupt everything she touched, except the mighty lord of the Southlands, and even he had been done a disservice since she had obviously driven a wedge between he and his wife, a woman Diao Chan had come to revere.

What nonsense! 'Courtesans such as you and I must not be lost to the world, for we are the beauty within it that all desire.' Diao Chan's beauty caused nothing but strife, her love poisoned hearts and minds and destroyed lives! What use had the Middle Kingdom for love and beauty such as that?

Dimly she became aware of another presence in her room. Icy fear and remorse tingled up her spine as she understood who it was.

"No… please… not this…"

"Diao Chan…" Da Qiao said into the darkness, her voice trembling faintly.

Diao Chan trembled as Da Qiao padded over and slipped into the covers beside her. She could feel Da's body, tense with anxiety.

"Diao Chan, I wish before all that was holy that I could hate you, but I cannot. My heart knows a type of rage I have never felt before, a possessive, jealous fury, and I do not like it. For my own sake my must reject it…"

"No…"

Diao Chan could feel Da Qiao fighting to hold on to her emotions, to say what she needed to say. She knew now how Da must have felt, listening to her confession earlier, and this was every bit as torturous in its own way.

Da now gently took hold of Diao Chan and turned her around. No matter how much she wanted to resist, Diao Chan knew she could not. She had no right to do so.

"Diao Chan…" Da whispered, taking her cheeks gently in hand and staring deep into the other courtesan's eyes. "I know neither of us wants to hear this… I forgive you…"

Diao Chan burst into tears again, not even attempting to control her weeping. The dreaded forgiveness she did not deserve had been given, and more than ever she was now in someone else's debt for her life. Da Qiao was, despite her young years, wise and cruel in her kindness.

Da could not restrain herself and she too wept openly. She held the other girl close and they cried bitter tears of reconciliation. The darkness blanketed the pain and betrayal was lost to the night. Their worlds had changed forever and they had to accept that.


Morning came and the day was warm and pleasant. Da and Diao Chan sat quietly at the table in the sitting room, eating sweetened fruits and drinking the nectar of persimmon blossoms. They blushed as they caught one another's eye, remembering what had transpired the night before, knowing that neither of them was ready to say anything quite yet.

The servants had made themselves scarce, heading into the town to check on Da's servants and also to pick up food and other items for the manor. By silent consent, the two courtesans now went outside and they sat quietly under a beautiful blossoming cherry tree. Words seemed so meaningless at this very moment…

Diao Chan sat and looked out toward the west, her thoughts on the Heavens and wondering if the Jade Mother, Xi Wang Mu, could possibly be as forgiving as the remarkable young girl sitting next to her. What had ever given Da Qiao such strength?

Da Qiao was looking up through the boughs of the tree to the cerulean blue sky, her own thoughts tinged by endless questions. A single cherry blossom petal floated lazily down and she held out a graceful hand. The petal settled on the back of her index finger, as if it wished to alight upon her. Da yearned for simple truths and less questions. Was that so much to ask?

She finally sighed. "Why do you suppose he never told me?" she asked.

Slowly Diao Chan turned her head, and where Da expected to see regret and sadness in her companion's eyes, she was greeted by disbelief.

Diao Chan just stared at her. "Are you serious?"

Da made a wry face. "Well, yes," she reasoned. "Ce may have resisted your temptations and for that I am grateful, but I am not letting him off the hook completely. After all, he's had a long time to tell me about- Diao Chan, why are you giggling?"

Diao Chan was, in fact, giggling so hard behind her hand that tears were beginning to run down her cheeks. She finally composed herself, mostly, and knelt in front of Da Qiao, turning the girl in to face her. She took one of Da's hands and kissed it.

"By all the gods, my lady," she said almost reverently. "Though I shall, as a dutiful subject, admire and revere your husband, I think it is you I shall love and who will capture my shattered heart…"

She smiled and caressed Da's cheek. "Darling, Lord Sun Ce has not told you because he could not tell you. He simply couldn't."

Da's eyes went wide. "Diao Chan, you didn't…"

Diao Chan was fighting back her mirth and she nodded. "I am afraid so, my dearest Da."

Da Qiao sighed and closed her eyes. "Well this stinks. I was really going to give him what for, too. And now you reveal that he couldn't tell me even if he tried?"

Diao Chan nodded, still trying not to giggle.

"I swear, Diao Chan, I wish I didn't like you so much so that I could knock you into the next calendar year." Da muttered. "Exactly how far does this web of yours extend?"

Diao Chan considered. "I hate to say it, but possibly as far as the conflict with Liu Biao, whom I was also ordered to ensnare, the difference being that I was partially successful there, whereas your husband broke my spell outright."

Da scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head as if this was all too much. "You realize, of course, that it could be construed, then, that you are responsible for the death of Lord Sun Jian."

"Well, let's not get too carried away with the list of crimes and misdemeanors, please," Diao Chan said, holding up an imploring hand. "I think I have enough to answer for without derivative conjecture."

Da stood and sighed again. "Well, fortunately, the Jade Butterfly school has an antidote to your little potion. Did he drink it or did you kiss him?"

"I kissed him." Diao Chan said simply.

"Figures," Da grumped. "The one time I should get to be mad at him and it is completely not his fault. Worse, the person whose fault it is I completely adore. It's not fair."

"No, it really isn't," Diao Chan said, rising and looking into Da's eyes, her own tinged with sadness. "You were innocent, your husband was innocent, and yet you were both dragged through the intrigues and treacheries of the imperial court. I had only heard later that the eunuchs had sent that awful assassin Fang Yu to murder you and I was horrified. I said many secret prayers for your safety."

Da considered. "Remembering that makes me less mad at you, sort of. I understand you were also a pawn in all of this, but Fang Yu… she was just a merciless devil, bent on agony and ruin."

She pulled Diao Chan to her and hugged her. The courtesan stiffened and first but then returned the hug, letting Da speak her mind.

"I do not want to be mad about any of this, Diao Chan…" Da whispered. "Whatever has transpired, I forgive. Now you must forgive yourself and help me release my husband from this bondage."

Diao Chan nodded as she held Da tight. "Nothing would make me happier, Da."

Da smiled at her friend and wiped a tear away from her eye. Diao Chan blinked away some more tears and smiled. "Do you suppose he will have me executed for what I have done?"

Da smiled back. "Not a chance."

"Damn…" Diao Chan whispered in feigned frustration.

Both girls giggled.


Though Da Qiao did want to return to Baifu and fix matters with Ce, she had planned to spend a full week with Diao Chan and this was what she had decided to do. Sun Ce not being able to speak to her about the issue with Diao Chan could certainly wait, since it posed no threat to anyone.

They had spent the rest of the morning beneath the cherry tree, lying side-by-side, holding hands and looking up at the blue sky. They had put the matter of Ce behind them and if it did come up, it was strictly a private joke between them now. They were both relieved.

They discussed their time in their respective academies, disciplines they had studied, girls they had loved and what they missed or did not miss. Naturally the curriculum for both girls had been similar, but due to the difference in location, the progression had been different. Diao Chan, living in Chang'an, had been cooped up inside the buildings during the cold winter months whereas Da, residing in Wuchang, had temperate or humid weather all year round and many classes were held outdoors. Diao Chan giggled as Da related about chasing boys away in outrage when the little brats had spied on the girls, who usually studied naked.

They talked about dancing and singing, intrigued by how different their knowledge of songs was, based on the instruments available. The songs of the northern school relied on northern instruments, with their often strident harmonics, influenced by the nearby nomadic tribes, whereas the students of the Jade Butterfly School emphasized complimentary chords that harmonized with the rich materials instruments in the south were made of. Diao Chan sang higher in her throat and used more vibrato than Da traditionally did and Da sang more from her diaphragm.

Diao Chan giggled, "Well, that would explain why your breasts are bigger than mine," she commented slyly. Da blushed.

"Maybe…" she murmured. "I always just assumed it was because I have had a child."

"Nonsense, darling," Diao Chan said. "I have had one as well, though Lu Bu's first wife kept the boy and I have almost never seen him. And my breasts were always large, even prior to child birth. You are a small girl with big breasts. Lord Sun Ce knows what he likes and he is a genius."

Da giggled. "Considering my sister's size, what does that say of Lord Zhou Yu?"

They talked of matters across the realm, both large and of no consequence. They discussed the Sun family's plans for the protection of the Wu territory and Da was intrigued (and secretly delighted) to see that Diao Chan was a strong proponent of Lord Sun Ce eventually ruling the realm.

"I always had you figured for a Han loyalist, Dial Chan." Da said.

Diao Chan shrugged. "At one time, maybe, but I must admit that the Han is dead, a rotting corpse that refused to accept its fate. And now, I believe the future lies with you and your husband. It will be an era of peace, prosperity and glory for us all."

Diao Chan now put a tender, almost loving hand on Da's cheek and caressed it. "My time of mourning has passed… please allow me to play a part in this realm, my lady…"

Da nodded. "I do have something I wish to discuss with you, then. Lord Sun Ce has charged Xiao and I with developing and running the courtesan schools he intends to build here in the Southlands. While we are both thrilled by the idea, we are both busy leading troops. I had come here to ask if you would be willing to join us in this effort, Diao Chan."

The courtesan's eyes widened. "Of course, Da, I would be honoured, but surely the position falls to you to head this entire operation. I am not fit."

"You most certainly are, darling," Da said, taking Diao Chan's hand in her own. She lay on her side to face her friend and stared into her eyes. "I am too busy, Xiao is too busy, and even if she were not, her head would surely explode…"

They both giggled, knowing the truth of it.

"You will be a perfect person for this, Diao Chan. Of course, the three of us will form a triumvirate that will make all the important decisions, and we shall have a dedicated staff to administer for us, but I would like for you to be the primary face on the matter."

"Oh? A titular figurehead?" Diao Chan asked, smirking.

"Like enough," Da agreed. "A great and famous courtesan, teaching the young beauties of our realm how to be the noblest ladies of the Middle Kingdom? I think it is a splendid idea."

"But you and your sister will make all decisions with me, correct?" Diao Chan asked, wanting assurance. "I will be your figurehead, but I mostly want to teach, if possible."

Da smiled gently and nodded. "As do I, Diao Chan. You have my word."

Diao Chan's heart beat warmly, for the first time in nearly a year. The winter had finally left her soul.


Da Qiao was wearing a loose, thin silk robe and sat in a chair, facing a large, almost body-height piece of thin, highly-polished metal that rested within a wooden frame. The metal had such a finish to it that Da could see her reflection almost perfectly, without any distortion at all. Diao Chan stood behind her, also wearing a short, loose-fitting silk robe. She was caressing Da's neck while brushing through her long, luxurious raven hair. It was midday and they would be visiting nearby orchards and then relaxing in a scented, oiled bath together before the afternoon meal.

Da closed her eyes and hummed as she felt the gentle kiss of the brush through her hair. Diao Chan smiled, enjoying the reaction she was getting.

"You miss the artistic touch of a woman, darling?" she cooed.

Da nodded. "Ce often brushes my hair for me, which feels magnificent but is different, as we both know, and Xiao rarely has the time. I have servant girls whom I have attempted to teach the proper technique to, but sometimes nothing can replace the years of courtesan training."

"Agreed," Diao Chan said readily, knowing the truth in Da's words. "Just as a great warrior was a peerless fighter, courtesans of the best schools know exactly how to touch and caress and pleasure a body in a manner no one else can match. Your touch is a private heaven I will always cherish."

They brushed one another's hair, barely saying anything and just enjoying one another's company. Da realized that around Diao Chan she did not feel like a wife, a commander or even a courtesan- she felt like a young girl, living a carefree and luxurious life where all that mattered was their pleasure and happiness. Though she daydreamed of Ce, her daydreams were of the young and dashing warrior who would sweep her off her feet, someone she hardly knew and would become instantly enamoured of, the right and privilege of every girl's heart.

The fragrant orchards they visited were laden with fruits or blossoms. In attempting to pick some fruit, they accidentally knocked over a fence and ran, giggling, when the cranky old farmer came out to see what all the noise was. He was carrying a wood-chopping axe and their hearts pounded as they held their breath and hid in an old irrigation ditch, holding one another while he searched in vain for the unwelcome interlopers.

The 'danger' had passed and they lay silently, holding one another close. Da stared into Diao Chan's eyes for several moments before they both blushed and rose. Diao Chan looked at herself in dissatisfaction.

"Oh dear," she sighed. "I am a total mess now. Old Bai is going to be so angry with me for soiling this robe, it was her favourite on me."

Da giggled and winked. "Mine is a mess too. Muddy ditches will do that, after all. So now what?"

"What else?" Diao Chan replied, shrugging. "We steal some peaches from the old man's orchard and go back to take a bath, silly."

They gathered each as many peaches as they could hold and were getting ready to leave when the old man burst out of his hut, yelling at them and waving a walking stick around. Both girls dashed out of the orchard, heading back for the manor, but not before Da undid the knot on Diao Chan's robe and let it fall away while the northern girl was trying to run with armfuls of fruit. Naked, Diao Chan shrieked and chased after Da, who was laughing hysterically while running as hard as she could.

Da lost her robe in flight but managed to keep the peaches.


It was mid-afternoon and the sun was beginning its westward descent. Da hummed as she sat in the large basin that was filled with scented, oiled water. Diao Chan sat opposite her and their feet rested in a casual embrace.

"I cannot believe you stripped me of my robe in mid-flight," Diao Chan said, trying to sound indignant. "What if I had stopped to retrieve my robe? That awful old man might have caught me and had his way with me?"

Da smirked. "You've been voluntarily celibate for over a year, how bad could it possibly end up being?"

Diao Chan shivered. "Ew. No thank you. Celibacy or girls will do fine if those are my choices."

"Besides, you managed to strip me as well, may I point out." Da remarked.

"Yes, but you made it back with your peaches, so at least we have something to eat."

Da Qiao giggled again. "Now I know why they call you Diao Chan… never have I heard such a high-pitched sound in my life as when your robe came off."

Diao Chan (translated: 'Black Cicada') blushed and splashed some water at Da.

They gently and slowly bathed and oiled one another and had dressed into different robes by the time the servants returned. Old Bai raised an eyebrow when she noticed the girls' morning robes were missing but said nothing. The servants began preparing the evening meal while Da and Diao Chan drank tea.

"Do we dare try to get our robes back?" Da asked.

Diao Chan made a wry face and shook her head. "That old man has no doubt found them and Heavens only know what he's doing with the pretty silken things of two beautiful young girls such as ourselves. I shudder to think of it."

"Besides," Da said, sipping her tea casually. "If he figures out it was us, he won't have much to say if he comes up here and finds out I am the Lady of the Southlands. I may just make him go steal his own peaches for us; less work for me."

Diao Chan smiled. "Wouldn't that technically be an abuse of your privilege as wife of the ruler of the realm?"

"You're no fun at all unless you're naked, Diao Chan." Da quipped cheerfully.


The rest of the week almost flew by for Da Qiao. The girls did almost nothing but relax, entertain one another and do what they could to make life troublesome for the local farmers. Old Bai eventually threatened to dress them both in hemp if they insisted on losing their clothing so regularly.

By night they discussed the courtesan's guild they intended to form and what their own functions would be. They slept in the same bed and held one another while they shared girlhood dreams and shed warm tears. Da knew that she had forgiven Diao Chan completely, not only because she didn't want to be jealous or angry but because she adored the northern girl and still pitied her for her folly and role in the machinations of an imperial court too cruel to deserve her.

The day came when Da Qiao was to leave and she spent several minutes in private saying goodbye to her friend before coming out of the manor to bid farewell to the servants that had been so kind to her. She rode down the hill on her horse and she looked back to see Diao Chan standing at the top, watching her quietly as her eyes glistened. Da Qiao's heart too was heavy as she made her way back to Lijiang.

Her attendants and guardian squads awaited her and the village once again came out to greet her. Da spent the remainder of the day partaking in the quaint sights of the town, being treated to the local cuisine and finally retiring to an inn to rest before the ride back to Baifu.

Her thoughts were still back on that lonely hill.


Sun Ce looked like he was trying to say something, but no words came out. His eyes were wide and he seemed strangely paralyzed by inaction, something Da Qiao was not at all accustomed to with her normally blithe husband. Obviously he really was incapable of speech on the subject.

During the ride home, she had reflected on the entire situation with herself, Ce and Diao Chan. Clearly all three of them had been subverted to the machinations of an ancient, jaded bureaucracy, dedicated to its own survival and heedless of what it destroyed. Her heart burned at the callous manipulations they had been forced to endure, and even though Diao Chan had taken part willingly, Da knew it had been done with the heart of a young girl who could not fathom the cruelty of the Han.

She also reflected on what her own responses might have been in such a situation. She knew that Ce would never order her or ask her to seduce or subvert another person for his own personal or political gain, but if Da Qiao were in such a situation, would she willingly use her courtesan and seductress ways to subvert an enemy of the Wu realm?

All those years ago, when she first married Ce, she never would have done so.

But now, immersed as she was in the wars and survival of her people, she knew she would do such a thing if that's what it took. And that is why she needed to forgive Diao Chan, because she wasn't that much different.

"Nothing to say, oh great lord?" she asked as she advanced on her husband. Ce seemed rooted to the spot. She knew Ce was innocent, but moments like this happened so very rarely and she intended to allow herself a little cruel fun and enjoy it.

"You'll be happy to know that I have already been told everything, then," she said quietly, now standing in front of him. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? I spent a whole week with her, after all…"

Ce tried to speak but nothing came forth and he appeared to be getting frustrated with not being able to articulate his thoughts.

"Oh, very well…" Da said, slipping a small bottle off the table top and unstopping it. Within was a thick, orange concoction that was unusually warm to the touch. She trickled some onto her finger and then smeared it across her lips.

"Now come down here…" she said firmly.

Ce leaned down and Da pulled him to her and kissed him, hard. His eyes went wide as she practiced the sacred art of kissing a boy, kissing him so well that he would never look at another. Ce had initially tensed up but now held her to him and returned the kiss eagerly. Da's heart pounded in her chest. She had missed her husband so much.

The kiss ended and Ce grinned down at her. "Alright, what just happened?"

"As I said," Da purred. "Diao Chan confessed to everything. She also told me that she had used an ancient potion on you when she kissed you, to rob you of the ability to converse with me on the subject. An old courtesan trick, for sure, but easily remedied with an equally old courtesan antidote."

Ce made a wry face. "But I could tell Zhou Yu. I don't know why that would-"

Da stopped his blathering with a finger to his lips. "The potion is an arcane and subtle sorcery, my love, and when you wanted to tell me, or even thought of trying to find a way to tell me, your mind became addled and distracted. Think back. Could you ever really think of Diao Chan and I simultaneously? Could you ever discuss you, Diao Chan and I with Zhou Yu, or was it merely a relation of facts?"

Ce pondered. "Now that you mention it… wow, I'm sorry, Da. All this time and I-"

"It is nothing, Ce." Da said gently, smiling at him lovingly. "I know exactly how Diao Chan's potion worked and I have no expectations that even you could break its effects."

Ce scowled. "So why didn't Zhou Yu or someone else tell you?"

"It was none of their concern, I suppose." Da said, shrugging. "Ce, you are probably the only lord in China with only one wife. Other lords have many wives and keep concubines as well. Marriage elsewhere is about social status and lineage."

She pulled him down to a kneeling position and caressed her hand across his cheek. "But you married me because you love me alone. That is something I will always keep in my heart and never forget."

Ce smiled. "I know I was your first. I wish you had been mine."

Da smiled gently. "As we ladies are trained to pleasure men, so are young lords like you and Zhou Yu trained to pleasure girls. But we women are lucky in that we have toys to practice with, whereas a man must rely on laying with a woman to learn his art. And to be honest, I am glad that you came to me as well trained as you did, for I would not really care to train some great, slobbering virgin of your size and stature."

Ce threw back his head and laughed. "It's no wonder I love you, Da, you're one in a million."

She blushed prettily. "Thank you, I worked hard to become so."

"Well, now that that's out of the way," he said, leaning in and smiling. "How about you tell me what happened between you and Diao Chan? What exactly does 'consensual courtesan stuff' mean, anyway?"

"Well, I would more than happily tell you, my lord," Da said. "But I am afraid that Diao Chan and I both used some of that inhibiting potion so that what passed between us would never be spoken."

Ce stared at her, trying to decide if she was lying. She stared back at him innocently.

"So… you can't discuss your week with Diao Chan and what you two got up to?"

"No, my lord."

Ce sighed. "Well, I hope you at least got some work done on your courtesan's guild concept. Did she agree to be your figurehead guild mistress?"

"Yes, my lord, she eventually-"

"A-ha!" Ce said triumphantly, leaping to his feet and looking down at her triumphantly. "You just finished telling me that you could not discuss your week with her."

Da blushed, thinking quickly. "I- I meant that matters of the heart or passion could not be-"

"Ohhhhh, so something did happen between you two, Ce said, grinning evilly. "It may not work, but it can't hurt to try. Brace yourself, Da, because I intend to coax the entire visit's details out of you…"

With that he scooped her up and threw her over his broad shoulder. Da squeaked in panic and struggled to escape as he swaggered back to the bedchamber, tossing aside her robe.

"Why can't I seem to keep my clothes on this week?" she thought to herself as she was carried into the darkness.


Author's Notes: Yes, Huey, I stole the chapter title from the 1974 Shaw Brothers movie.

This was a chapter of nothing but exposition, I know, but it's one I needed to do for myself so that the story and background made sense to me. If the Southlands are to flourish and become a center of brilliant culture, then they need courtesans. Da is too busy, Xiao's head would explode from trying to run such an endeavour and I really didn't feel like inventing another brilliant courtesan to tackle the operation. Having said that, Diao Chan was the perfect choice, so I needed to clear the air between she, Da and Ce.

I did rather extensive research on the Chinese courtesan schools, which actually started back around the time of the Early Han. The emperors of the dynasty provided these trained girls, known as 'xi sang' girls or 'ge ji' ('singing beauty'), to entertain the troops; as time progressed, the girls found their role becoming more specialized, since powerful men could hire or claim them exclusively. Schools were begun and they were now trained to be wives, although they were still bought and sold, a more severe form of a dowry or bride-price, such as they had in Europe.

Concerning their sexuality, they were trained to be lovers of both men and women- men, because men ran the world and needed their services, and women mostly by default. There were no Confucian or Chinese laws against homosexuality, bisexuality or even incest when it came to simple physical pleasure. Incest was not to produce a child that could compromise a genealogy, but aside from that, it was not taboo. Girls in courtesan schools had only each other to practice and become proficient with, so lesbianism was the norm and indeed for Chinese women in general bisexuality was accepted, since they were just women and men didn't care what the women did with one another. As long as she had one husband she served faithfully, her body was her own to do with as she pleased.

No, I do not intend to make Da or Xiao flagrantly bisexual, nor incestuous. They have a history, that's it. They have their husbands and that is the norm. Shang Xiang is the lesbian (no, really?). Yes, Da spends a lot of time kissing girls, but it is a running joke for me more than anything.

I had considered giving Quan a male lover as well as introducing his wife, but there was not much point in doing this with Zhang He being around, giving how flaming he is. There will be some more exposition into that with later chapters. And his name will make you laugh in you pronounce it 'Zhang Heyyyyyyyy!' in a really soft, counter-tenor voice…

I thought about giving Kuang a male companion, but he shows up so infrequently in the fic that it'd just make him look like the quiet, weird gay brother. So, more for expediency than anything else, none of the Sun boys are bisexual.

Yes, you drooling yaoi fangirls, that means that Ce and Zhou Yu never have and never will have had super-happy bum fun. There are plenty of fics like that, go find 'em.

And take your yaoi paddles with you.

- Management